Thomson

It’s a heck of a way to run a pre-election campaign. On the eve of an expected election, politicians usually spend their time playing up good news, downplaying the bad, shaking hands and kissing babies.

Once Upon A Mattress full of side-splitting shenanigans

Eastglen High School’s production of Once Upon a Mattress.

Photograph by: Rick MacWilliam

Cappies review #1

Georgia Ashworth

Ross Sheppard High School

Take an age-old fairy tale, a swamp dwelling, bench-pressing princess, an immature prince, a mute king, a fussy queen, some killer dancing and plenty of catchy tunes and you will have Eastglen High School’s production of Once Upon a Mattress.

The musical brings a modern twist to Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea. It was first written as a one-act play, but was so well received that it was later expanded into a full-length musical that opened on Broadway in 1959. Once Upon a Mattress tells the tale of the moat-swimming, outspoken Princess Winnifred the Woebegone (a.k.a. “Fred”) who is the 13th princess to be put to one of Queen Aggravain’s impossible tests that must be passed before any princess is able to marry her awkward and obedient son, Prince Dauntless. Until Prince Dauntless walks down the aisle, no one in the kingdom is allowed to get married.

The show was driven by the high energy of the cast and the commitment of the leads in creating lovable characters. The musical numbers were performed with enthusiasm, the dancing was well executed and the comedic moments were well timed and plentiful.

James Wright became an instant crowd favourite as Prince Dauntless with his comedic timing and dedication to his character. Whenever he was onstage, he effectively communicated his character with strong facial expressions and movement. Ellysa Nesbitt captured the free-spirited and outspoken essence of Princess Winnifred with her unfailing energy and charm, from the moment she emerged dripping wet from the castle moat.

Will Davidson as King Sextimus created an amiable and hilarious character — without saying a word. The mute king’s physical comedy, coupled with Wright’s comedic timing, had the audience in stitches during the king’s man-to-man talk with Prince Dauntless. The devious Queen Aggravain (Ashlie Borges) and Lady Larken (Madi Senten) gave solid performances and proved their vocal strength. For the most part the cast was very successful in conveying character and made good use of body language. The cast impressed the audience with complicated dance numbers, including the killer-paced group number Spanish Panic and a graceful opening pantomime choreographed by students Ally Melnychuk and Carrie Payne.

Makeup was well executed by Amelia Altmiks and added to the whimsical air of the performance. Nicole O’Brien kept things running backstage and the set changes were carried out smoothly.

With its endearing leads, polished dance numbers and side-splitting shenanigans, Eastglen High School’s production of Once Upon a Mattress will change the way we see fairy tales forever.

Cappies review #2

Megan Coates

Archbishop Oscar Romero

The lights dim, and the rich, medieval sounds of the orchestra’s overture fill the grand expanse of the Majestic Theatre. The stage is illuminated as the minstrel begins the opening song, Many Moons Ago. Thus begins Eastglen High School’s performance of the classic musical Once Upon a Mattress.

Written in 1959, Once Upon A Mattress is the comedic adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea, which quickly became a well-known Broadway production. The story centres on the devious and controlling Queen Aggravain’s attempts to hinder all marital plans for her son, and a lovesick nobleman’s quest to find a suitable bride so that he, too, may be allowed to marry. With music by Mary Rodgers and lyrics by Marshall Barer, this hilarious rendition takes you on a magical journey as the minstrel retells the “true” story of this classic fairytale.

Energy was buzzing throughout the cast from the opening scene to the finale and never faltered, despite a few technical difficulties on stage. The cast members displayed a strong vocal foundation as well as exceptionally creative choreography. Any minor slip-ups were met with a professional and creative spin, showcasing the actors’ exceptional adlibbing ability. This delightful performance was met with confident and energetic vocals as a whole, and each cast member brilliantly complemented one another. Princess Winnifred, played by Ellysa Nesbitt, displayed a dynamic vocal range with outstanding stage presence and energy from the minute she climbed out of the castle’s moat. Her charm and vivacity immediately enthralled the audience. The supporting cast members worked wonderfully in unison, providing comedy and charisma; King Sextimus (Will Davidson), Queen Aggravain (Ashlie Borges), Sir Harry (Jesse Lyuendyk). Princess Winnifred and Prince Dauntless (James Wright) showed immense chemistry and greatly charmed the audience.

The set was minimalistic yet very impressive, utilizing various levels and authentic-looking masonry for the castle. Despite lighting equipment limitations, lighting designer Amy Clarke executed the task wonderfully, using lighting to add to the mood. Set changes were fluid and with no noticeable problems. With costumes of rich velvet, high collars and beautiful gowns, the audience truly felt a part of a magical and medieval fairy tale.

With energetic performances, catchy music, lively ensembles and romance, Eastglen’s production of Once Upon a Mattress is a must-see.

Cappies review #3

Lindsay Davidson

Paul Kane High School

What do you get when you mix one unpolished princess, throw in a desirable single prince, add a dash of his overbearing queen mother and include a single ordinary pea? The answer is the hilarious musical comedy, Once Upon a Mattress, which was presented with a flourish of song and dance by Eastglen High School.

Borrowing from Hans Christian Andersen’s timeless tale The Princess and the Pea, this production dives into the kooky world of a medieval kingdom ruled by a domineering queen, who slyly tries to keep her son, Dauntless, from marrying. She does this by creating unreasonable tests that each suitor must pass to gain her approval. The young prince’s marriage is of interest to the whole kingdom because his evasive queen mother has decreed that “throughout the land no one may wed until Dauntless shares his wedding bed.” This decree is most problematic for a secondary pair of lovers, Sir Harry and Lady Larken, who is pregnant out of wedlock. Sir Harry volunteers to venture out and find a suitable princess for Dauntless. He travels to a swamp where he happens upon Princess Winnifred, who, although delightful, is not quite up to the royal standard of the queen.

Ellysa Nesbitt radiated energy and charisma, skilfully performing the role of Princess Winnifred. Her ability to command the stage with her powerful vocals and dazzling smile never wavered. James Wright, as the adorably naive Prince Dauntless, was charmingly perfect. The two had great chemistry and elicited much laughter from the audience. As Princess Winnifred’s nemesis, Queen Aggravain, Ashlie Borges was devious on a royal level as she clearly projected the manipulative nature of her character. Bringing a more serious tone to the show was Lady Larken, played by Madi Senten, who dazzled the audience with her alluring voice. Opposite her was Sir Harry played by Eastglen alumni Jesse Lyuendyk, who offered exquisite vocals and a charming character. Together the two offered a captivating subplot, which was heightened by their beautiful harmonies. Finally the mute, yet hilarious, character of King Sextimus, performed by Will Davidson, succeeded in effortlessly bringing out the character’s flirtatious sense of humour and quirky charm.

The opulent multi-level castle set was the perfect backdrop for the eccentric royal court and made up for minor microphone glitches. A royal applause for the technical team who carried out scene changes efficiently and professionally. Actors and technical crew offered creativity and an enchanting performance.

Eastglen High School’s Once Upon a Mattress proved that anyone can have a happy ending, no fairy godmothers needed.

Cappies review #4

Celia Taylor

Archbishop MacDonald High School

As the last echoes of the overture fade, a single spotlight illuminates centre stage, showing a neatly constructed fairy-tale castle, complete with turrets and crenellations. A flaxen-haired minstrel flits into the light. “Many moons ago, in a far-off place,” she begins, and proceeds to tell, through song and pantomime ballet, the old story of The Princess and the Pea with which we are all so familiar. When she reaches the expected happy ending, she pauses and gives the audience a cheeky smile.”There are many versions of this story,” she observes. “I sing them all. This is the prettiest, but it’s not quite accurate. I happen to know the true story of The Princess and the Pea for the very good reason that I was there.”

Welcome to Eastglen High School’s production of Once Upon A Mattress, set in an imaginary kingdom ruled by the libidinous King Sextimus the Silent (Will Davidson), rendered mute by a curse, and his overbearing, shrewish wife, Queen Aggravain. The two of them are trying to marry off their son, the most inaptly-named Prince Dauntless (James Wright), but when we arrive on the scene, 12 possible princesses have already been rejected. Enter Number 13: energetic, tomboyish, Princess Winnifred (Ellysa Nesbitt). Dauntless is smitten at once, but his mother is less amused, and she quickly plots a test for this new princess — one she cannot possibly hope to pass.

“There are no small parts – only small actors,” runs the adage, and Davidson, as Sextimus, proves it. Whether he’s silently singing in a trio with a jester and the minstrel, or giving his son a chat about the birds and the bees, entirely through mime, Davidson’s hammy stage presence and vivacity make him an instant audience favourite. Even more commanding is Ashlie Borges as his queen. Borges sweeps on and off the stage in a horned headdress, shrieking and braying, giving a convincing portrayal of a has-been royal with a somewhat too strong attachment to her son, and an affinity for getting her own way. Wright, as Prince Dauntless, a scrawny, awkward specimen, has a sweet, natural charm that endears him to the audience.

The soul of the show, however, is found in his princess. Lively, cheerful, and with a bright, clear singing voice, Nesbitt was full of zest as the spunky, swamp-dwelling, weightlifting Winnifred, preferring to be known by her nickname only. (“Winnie?” asks Dauntless, when informed of this. “Fred,” Nesbitt retorts at once, grinning and swaggering.)

The cherry on top of this fluffy confection was the choreography. The dance numbers were easily the best part of this musical, being both slick and lively. The production’s singers were not always well served by the show’s uneven sound system but even this detail could not detract from the delight of this fractured fairy tale. Handsome princes, spunky princesses, wizards, jesters, wicked queens, dancing, and lumpy mattresses — what more could one want?

Cappies review #5

Charissa Traverse

Paul Kane High School

Everyone has heard the story of The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen. It tells the tale of a prince desperate for a bride but unable to find a suitable princess. On a dark and stormy night a rain-drenched girl knocks on the palace doors, claiming to be a royal. The prince’s mother decides to test the girl by placing a tiny pea under an enormous stack of mattresses. Only a real princess would feel the pea and be unable to sleep due to discomfort. The story ends happily, for the girl does feel the pea and is unable to fall asleep. The prince finally has found the perfect bride.

But, according to Eastglen High School’s production at the Majestic Theatre, that’s not actually how it happened. In this musical version, called Once Upon a Mattress, the prince is desperate for a bride, but his domineering mother, Queen Aggravain, secretly ensures he can never marry by making all the would-be-brides take a test that is impossible to pass. The girl who supposedly arrived on a dark and stormy night actually arrives in the middle of a sunny day. She’s wet because she swam the moat, being too impatient to wait for the drawbridge. She is Princess Winnifred, but insists people call her Fred. The story continues in this haphazard way, a crazy cast of eccentric characters completely altering the classic story.

The two leads, Prince Dauntless (James Wright) and Princess Winnifred (Ellysa Nesbitt) had a perfectly humorous chemistry that had the audience doubled over with laughter. Wright played the meek and bashful Dauntless with an adorable flavour that, when coupled with the boisterous energy of Nesbitt’s Winnifred, exemplified the epitome of Broadway comedy. Queen Aggravain (Ashlie Borges) typified the obnoxious mother but also had a dramatic flair that played nicely off the other characters. King Sextimus (Will Davidson), although mute, was still entertaining to watch as he attempted to mime his thoughts to his comrades the Jester (Amelia Altmiks) and the Minstrel (Sammie O’Connor).

Throughout the story of Dauntless and Winnifred, another tale is being told. Lady Larken (Madi Senten) and Sir Harry (played by alumni Jesse Lyuendyk) are in love, but the queen decreed that no one can get married until her son does. When Lady Larken finds out she is pregnant with Sir Harry’s child, they realize that Prince Dauntless must find a wife before their secret is discovered. Although the pair has a dramatic fight, their story ends on a happy note. Senten’s beautiful voice always filled the theatre, and when matched with Lyuendyk’s in their many duets, the pair transcended all.

The ensemble dances, especially those of An Opening For a Princess and Shy were wonderfully choreographed and entertaining to watch. The set was masterfully designed and the costumes were beautiful, truly adding to the ambience. Overall, the punchy quality of the musical, along with the huge amounts of talent at Eastglen made the evening end happily ever after.

The Journal and 25 area high schools are participating in the Cappies, a Washington, D.C.-based program that uses high school critics to review high school theatre. The 22nd show of the season was Once Upon a Mattress, performed by students of Eastglen High School on April 26. The critic discussions were mentored by James Park of Concordia High School and Stephanie Adams of W.P. Wagner High School.

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.